Thousands March in Madrid After 87-Year-Old Eviction Victim's Death as Spain Rents Jump 87%
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 8
Thousands March in Madrid After 87-Year-Old Eviction Victim's Death as Spain Rents Jump 87%
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 8
Summary
Thousands of people marched in Madrid on Thursday to honor María del Carmen Abascal, 87, whose eviction two weeks ago and death on Wednesday turned her into a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis.
Rents nationwide have risen 87% since 2015 while salaries climbed 28%, fueling anger over stagnant wages, delayed household formation and residents being pushed from their neighborhoods.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has already called snap elections, casting the vote as a chance for his left bloc to win a parliamentary majority to tackle housing.
The housing issue still faces political limits, with conservative and far-right parties framing the election instead as a referendum on Sánchez himself.